New blood
by shadowrider97
Summary: The old heroes are gone. Tellius is embroiled in a full fledged war yet again. It's only hope for survival lays in the hands of a new hero and his trusted friends. Horrible summary I know. Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

New Blood

A/N: Ok I know I'm already in the middle of a Fire Emblem story, but I know this guy who knows a guy who has a cousin that had this awesome dream (just kidding, it was me! Teehee!), and I just had to write it down! For those of you who haven't yet, check out my other story "Father's son".

Regular

**Regular shouting**

_thoughts_

_**thought shouting**_

EMPHISAS

P.S. if the names of people, places, or objects come up that are found in any game OTHER than Path of Radiance of Radiant Dawn, it is purely coincidental. If I use one please comment and I will find another.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way shape or form own Fire Emblem.

Chapter 1

Someone was pounding on the door. "Rider, up and at am sleepyhead!" yelled a young girl's voice. "Crusia wants you to meet her in the library!"

Rider groaned. "Thanks Heaida, I'll be there in a minute."

"All right," she replied, "but you better hurry! Oh and don't forget my birthday present!"

He sighed, wondering how on Tellius he could forget with her reminding everyone that her tenth birthday was coming up every few hours. He was glad she was enjoying herself, but she was annoying the heck out of everyone. _Well, I had better see what Crusia wants. She probably just wants to tell me how much of a screw up I am, _he thought with a scowl.

He got out of bed and walked over to mirror. Staring back at him was a well-muscled boy of about 16 with long ragged jet black hair and coal colored eyes. He had a light tan and scars across his chest and back from the ten years he had spent training as a mercenary under the tutelage of Crow and his wife Crusia.

He had lived with them ever since his parents had been killed in a bandit raid. He still had dreams about that night. He could remember the flames that blazed across the rooftops, the screaming that filled the air, the blood that stained his hands.

It was then that Crow arrived and killed off the raiders. When he found Rider he was laying in the dirt, cradling the bodies of his mother, father, and sister while tears streamed down his face. He had offered to train the boy so that something like that would never happen to him again.

He had accepted.

He was the second of Crow's pupils, joining three years after his comrade Skiffast. He had sent every day since that raid training with the older boy to become a warrior.

He had succeeded.

He threw on a black tunic and dark grey leggings, pulled on his leather boots and gloves, one which the fingers had been cut off just below the joint. He then strapped his steel sword to his waist, and pushed his massive iron blade, which he used to battle heavily armored enemies, into its sheath on his back.

With that done he headed off to the library. The library was one of the largest rooms in Fort Ganda. It was a perfect square, with a roof several meters above him.

When he entered, he paused to marvel at the many books that had been accumulated over the years. There were old books with tattered pages, new books with clean covers, children's books, and every other kind of book imaginable! He had spent years reading them all and reading them to Heaida, who he considered a baby sister.

Looking around he saw a woman in her late forties with pale skin and magenta hair and eyes. She wore a green dress that revealed her shoulders and golden earrings and a blue book in her lap.

When she noticed the young swordsman had entered, a smug look crossed her face. "Well look who decided to show up! Still weak from that battle yesterday? You know; the one where you screwed up and Dirk had to save your sorry excuse for a butt? Well it all worked out in the end, eh?"

"Why did you want to see me?" he asked with a monotone. His face was a scowl.

She smiled evilly, knowing she had angered him. "There is a small town, Caldea, if I remember correctly. The people have asked us to help drive off a group of bandits that have been terrorizing them. You are to take Hetha and go help. Skiffast is taking Sam, and Dirk is taking Kury and Ren to deal with the other missions. Try not to mess up," she added with a smirk.

"Why isn't Crow giving me my orders?" he asked confused.

"My husband isn't feeling well today," she replied with a shrug. "Until he is well you'll be taking orders from me. Now go! Every second you waste is another second we could lose the life of a potential employer!"

He left and headed down to the mess hall where he knew his friends would be, grumbling something about a money hungery witch. He entered and found his five closest friends sitting around a table, eating and laughing.

The first was Dirk. He was a short boy with big muscles. He had short blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore a sleeveless blue muscle shirt with leather shoulder pads and brown shorts. At his side was his trusty battle axe. Dirk had been a childhood friend from before the raid. After Rider had served Crow for two years he had sought out his old friend and convinced him to join the company.

To the axe man's right was Sam. He was a very tall boy with short brown hair and eyes. He also sported a sleeveless muscle shirt with shoulder pads, but the shirt was forest green. He had long brown breeches adorning his legs. Across his back were an unstrung bow and a quiver full of arrows. Sam was part of a mercenary company that had a… misfortune. He was the only survivor. When Rider met him he was able to convince the archer to join the Crow Mercenaries.

On the other side of the table was Ren. She was a slightly tall girl with long black hair and silver eyes. She had a light pink long sleeve shirt that traveled just passed her waist and light purple leggings. At her side was a long lance with a dagger length blade as the tip so it could be used by swinging it at her enemies. She was very good looking and had long been the most admired by the village boys. She was a noble's daughter that Rider and Crow had once escorted. After seeing their valor and skill she decided to join their company and become a warrior.

Sitting next to her was a slightly younger girl named Kury. She was about fourteen and had crimson hair that ended at her shoulders and matching eyes. She wore navy blue robes and had a tome in her hands. She was the Crow Mercenaries resident mage. She was sitting next to her older sister Hetha.

Hetha looked similar to her sibling, but her hair went half way down her back and over her shoulders and she was two years older, making her the same age as the rest of the group. She had on a short sleeve grey shirt and dark red leggings with a killing edge attached to her side. She and Kury had run away from home when their father went into a drunken rage and killed their mother. They had been living on the street for three years before Rider found them and brought them to Crow. Rider then proceeded to teach Hetha the way of the sword and they became sparring partners.

Dirk looked over and noticed their friend had walked in. "Well looks like the legendary Shadowblade decided to wake up and join us mere mortals!"

Rider frowned at the sound of his nick name that the people had deemed fitting for him. "No time for playing around guys, time to get serious. Crow is ill so we have to pick up the slack. Hetha you're with me. Sam, you need to go find Skiffast. Dirk, you're taking the rest."

They all nodded but Sam wasn't very pleased. "How come I always get stuck with that arrogant little stuck up snob!" He was silenced by a glare from Rider.

"If that's all, then time to move out, Crow Mercenaries!"

End of chapter

A/N: Whew! That took a while! If you liked it please review! Constructive criticism wanted! Also, I tried to use the village from level 1 of PoR but I've… misplaced my game. If anyone knows the real name of the village please PM me so I can fix it!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to ShiverInTheLight and Gunlord500 for reviewing! And thanks Gunlord500 for telling me the real name of the village so I could fix it! All of you who read this, thanks for reading! I write for you!

Chapter 2

Rider and Hetha entered the gates of the village of Caldea. Caldea was a small clifftop town, really just a bundle of buildings. Bandits would continuously prey on it through the years. Most recently were the Serpent Gang.

The mercenaries entered an inn in hopes of finding information on the gang's location. Inside were a group of four men gathered around the innkeeper, a cloaked man sitting in the corner, and a pair of children hiding beneath a table.

Each of the men had a tattoo of a slime green snake curling around their right arms, the symbol of the Serpent Gang. A large hairless man was holding the innkeeper up off the ground by his shirt.

"You trying to hold out on us, scum?" he said angrily. "We'll make you regret that!"

"You tell him Shiv!" said one of his companions stupidly.

The newcomers glanced at each other with eyebrows raised. Hetha turned back to face the bandits as she said, "Put the man down and we won't kill you… slowly."

The man known as Shiv turned to face them. When he saw Hetha he grinned wickedly. "Hello there beautiful! Are you here to watch me show this punk a lesson?"

She sighed with exasperation before saying, "I won't repeat myself. I suggest you do as I say before I get angry."

His grin widened, but he put the man down. "Oh come on sweetheart! Why don't you ditch scowls over there and be with a real man!"

She didn't answer him. Instead she said to Rider, "May I, sir? He's being rather rude."

"Sure," he began, "but don't kill him. We don't want to give the children nightmares." He gestured to the pair under the table.

The man began reaching for Hetha. Suddenly she gripped his wrist and twisted his arm painfully. Then she brought her fist down on his elbow, shattering it.

He shrieked in pain while his friends stared in horror and fear. "Any of you want to try hitting on me next?" she asked calmly. As one they shook their heads.

"Y-you're gonna pay for that!" Shiv stammered. "I'll make you wish you had just done what I said!" With that, he and his men sprinted out of the inn.

"Thank you so much!" cried the innkeeper. "You saved my life! If you hurry you may be able to follow them! Please take this as thanks." He reached over the counter and handed them a vulnerary. "I know it's not much but…"

Hetha smiled and accepted the gift. "You don't need to worry. Shadowblade and I can take it from here."

One of the children's eyes widened. "You're Shadowblade? I hear the grown-ups and some of the older kids talking about you all the time!"

Rider sighed. "No, my name's Rider, kid. I don't know what idiot decided to call me Shadowblade, but it isn't my name."

"Okeydokey Shadowblade!" replied the child with a big smile. Rider's scowl deepened.

In all the commotion, no one noticed the cloaked figure slipping through the doors.

00000000

"Boss!" shouted the now broken armed Shiv.

"What's up?" inquired the bandit leader.

"The villagers hired some mercenaries! They're on their way over here!" he replied.

The leader grinned wickedly. "Prepare an ambush! We'll teach those idiots in the village what we do to people who make us angry!"

00000000

The pair rushed after the fleeing bandits. The trail led them threw to narrow valley. Steep rocky cliffs trapped them on the small road from both sides.

They rounded the corner just in time to see twelve archers stand up from the sides of the cliff, and five more bar the path, including Shiv and his men. Rider realized with confusion that the bows weren't pointing towards the mercenaries. Following their gazes he saw that they were all aiming for a cloaked man further down the path.

They didn't even have time to shout a warning before the twang of arrows being released was heard. They prepared to hear the sound of flesh being struck, followed by the figure collapsing to the ground.

Instead, they heard the arrows clatter to the ground. Rider thought for a moment that by some stroke of luck they had all missed. Then he saw the arrows.

Each one was cut perfectly in half by a sword stroke.

_There's no way… He didn't even have a sword out a moment ago!_

But sure enough, he held a blade loftily in his right hand. For a moment the figure seemed to blur. Then seventeen cries of pain filled the air as every one of the bandits fell to the ground clutching mortal wounds.

The figure turned to face them as he removed the hood of his cloak and sheathed his blade. He appeared to be in his late seventies with grey and white hair and a winkled face. He had kind, calm eyes as he met Rider's. He held his arm in a crooked position against his sword hilt.

"Hello," he said calmly. "My name is Stefan. Lovely weather we're having, yes?"

End of chapter

A/N: well there it is. Don't worry, he won't be that old and pulling off stunts like that easily. I figured since the Branded live long lives I'd make his even longer than most, just to fit the story. As always, please review!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to CrimsonMercenary for reviewing! Check out his story "the crimson mercenaries" if you haven't 'cause it's pretty dang good! All right here's the next chapter!

Chapter 3

The two stared in amazement at the calm demeanor of the man before them. He seemed completely unfazed by the fact that he had just killed seventeen bandits in a matter of seconds, like it was an everyday occurrence.

_I don't know, maybe it is? _Rider thought to himself. The man began walking slowly towards them. Suddenly, his eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed. Rider instinctively rushed to catch him before he hit the ground.

Hetha helped him sit him up sluggishly on a nearby rock. She then revealed the vulnerary they had received from the innkeeper and poured a few sips down his throat. Coughing, he looked up at them tiredly.

"Sorry about that," he said, his voice slightly ragged. "The Astra in much more taxing on me than it once was. Who are you?"

"I'm Rider and this is Hetha," the boy replied. "We're members of the Crow Mercenaries. We were hired to take out a group of bandits, but it looks like you did it for us!"

Stefan's eyes lit up. "You're members of the Crow Mercenaries? That's great! I've been trying to locate you for days now! I was starting to lose hope!"

The mercenaries exchanged confused glances. "Why have you been looking for us?" inquired Hetha.

His face darkened. Any trace of joy or happiness faded instantly. In a single moment he went from a wrinkled old man to a fierce warrior, wise and deadly, the kind of man that you could believe made those kills. "Tell me, what do you know of the war that is sweeping across Tellius?"

Rider was suddenly nervous about the man sitting before him, but he answered anyway. "Well, the newly crowned Empress Sana of Begnion allied herself with King Sothe of Daein-"

"**Don't call him that!**"interrupted the swordsman. "The only thing that that boy shares with his grandfather is the name! Call him King Daein!"

"A-all right!" replied the boy, shocked by the sudden display of anger. "S-she allied herself with King Daein and together they declared war on the laguz. Crimea supported the laguz and now it's the Laguz Alliance and Crimea versus Begnion and Daein. The bird tribes had to leave the Serenes Forest and return to their old island countries, now known as the Winged Isles."

"There's more to it than that," said the trueblade sadly. "You see, I was chieftain of a city located in the Grann Desert. It was a sanctuary for those of us known as the Branded. We had almost five hundred citizens, and for the Branded that's saying something! Because it was so secluded, no one could harm us there.

"That seclusion was a two sided blade. We didn't hear about the declaration until it was too late, and the Begnion army was at our door. It ended in a single night. The survivors numbered less than twenty."

The two younger warriors stared at each other in shock and horror. This man had watched almost five hundred people die in a single night. Five hundred men, women, children, and elderly slaughtered by the people they had been trying to live with in harmony.

"I lead the survivors to Crimea," the old man continued. "I've been looking for people to help in the war ever since. I've tried mercenaries, villagers, even traders. I've searched for wandering laguz in need of sanctuary, along with my own kind. Most people ignore me because I'm one of the Branded.

"That's when I heard of commander Crow. He's known for his valor and kind heart. He is also known for his lack of racism against the laguz and the Branded. I was hoping her might be willing to aid me."

Both of the children shook their heads. "He doesn't want to get involved in the war. He's more worried about the women and children who are left behind in their defenseless homes in their defenseless villages, and the bandits who see it as an opportunity."

The swordsman nodded in understanding. "Then the tales of his honor are true. If he changes him mind, I'll be at some ruins to the west, a place known as Fort Greil."

With that he stood and walked unsteadily away.

00000000

The rest of the week passed rather uneventfully. They had been paid for their work and went home to learn that the others had completed their missions without too much difficulty either. They spent their days resting in the fort or out on assignments.

There was one problem; Crow was getting worse.

Everyday his condition grew in intensity. It was frightening to say the least. It was for that reason that he called for his pupil to attend him one evening.

The man lay weakly in his bed. He seemed so much older and thinner than he once was. He was in his early fifties with brown hair turning grey. Even after the time frozen to his bed he still rippled with muscle, and his eyes held the same kindness as the day they first met.

Rider and his master sat in silence for several minutes until Crow finally spoke, his voice a ragged whisper.

"Who would've thought? All those battles and I die by illness!"

"You're not going to die," Rider said quickly.

Crow chuckled. "Don't give an old man who has accepted his fate false hope. After all, you're a terrible liar. And that kind of optimism doesn't suit you, my friend."

"Just as that kind of pessimism doesn't suit you," he replied.

The man gave another chuckle. "Thanks for the encouragement, but I can feel the Dark Wings approaching. I'll be dead before the sun sets." He smiled before continuing to say, "I remember the day we first met. You were sitting in the dirt with tears in your eyes at the fate of your family. You begged to take you as my apprentice, and I accepted."

His face suddenly gave way to a mass of pain, urgency, and desperation. "I told you a lie on that day," he said quietly. "I told you I would train you so that something like that would never happen to you again. In truth, I wanted you to never let that happen to anyone else. I wanted you to make sure that no one else had to carry you burdens.

"When the people give someone a title, that title is made up of the sum of their life. Mine was the Pureguard Blade, because no matter who my charge was, I would protect them all with my life equally. You were given the title Shadowblade; fore you are the sword that has endured the darkness. You mustn't let there be any more Shadowblades, because that will mean that more innocent children had to endure the same pain you were forced through.

"These are my last orders to you. Do everything in your power so that there will be no more who suffered the pains of you and your friends. Together you must try to bring about the peace that Sanaki, Micaiah, Elincia, and Ike tried to establish! You must bring a world without the need for soldiers and mercenaries! Do what all others could not; bring peace to those who wander the dark, and insure that none need to anymore! Promise me this, please!"

The two stared at each other in silence. You could fell the desperation of the older man against one's skin. Finally, the pupil nodded his head.

Crow let out a relieved sigh. Closeing his eyes, he smiled and let out one last shuddering breath before lying still. He had faded from the world.

Rider looked out the window, a single tear running down his cheek, before noticing something that made him give a tired smile.

The sun was floating just above the horizon. He had died before the sun set.

End of chapter.

A/N: (crying) WHY?! Why did he have to go?! Oh ya, cause I said so! Well there it is! Hope you enjoyed! Please review!


End file.
